The most fundamental point here is that television in the United States is completely, cripplingly dependent on broadcast advertising revenue, the value of which is basically dictated by Nielsen ratings. Does legal online viewing do anything? Not really, says Engler, who intimates that it’s nearly profitless and done more as a semi-charitable act towards viewers than anything else.

If you’re not part of a Nielsen household, your television viewing habits have basically zero market effect, and what you do really doesn’t matter.Read the rest of this entry »